Truss-rail joint



(No Model.)

s. BREWSTER. TRUSS RAIL JOINT.

1%.581332. Patented Apr. 27, 1897.-

m mull NIH Hill! WWII. 24

WVILLIAM S. BREWSTER,

FFICE.

ATENT OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRUSS-RAIL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,332, dated April 27, 1897.

' Application filed May 9, 1896. Serial No. 690,916. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM S. BREWSTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Truss-Rail Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rail-joints; and it has for its object to provide a joint which is simple, cheap, effective, and practical; and with these objects in view theinvention consists in the construction and arrangement of the parts hereinafter more particularly pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and in which like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention applied to the adjacent ends of two rails, parts of the rails being broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, A B represent the meeting ends of two adjacent rails, which extend over and meet between the ties C C, as usual.

D is the base-plate,provided with fiat faces and extending across the upper faces of theties and bridging the space between them. This plate is provided with a longitudinal channel or recess 1, and in this recess are received the bases of the rails, the depth of the recess and thickness of the rail being substantially equal and the edges of the bases of the rails abutting against the shoulders 2 2 of the recess, thereby throwing the strain resulting from the lateral movement of the rails upon the base-plate. Upon the under side of the base-plate at the edges thereof and between the ties C C are formed reinforcing-ribs 9 9, which serve to strengthen the plate at this point.

E E are angular fish-plates which secure the ends of the rails together and to the base plate D. These fish-plates are preferably in length equal to the width of the space between the ties, but in any event they must be considerably shorter than the base-plate D, as will appear later on. As shown, the

plates are arranged upon opposite sides of the rails, the upper-portions 3 3 thereof being held normally in contact with the webs of the rails by means of bolts 4 4,extending through openings in the plates and rails, while the extreme upper edges of the plates bear upon the under faces of the tread of the rail. The inner faces of the lower portions 4 4 of the fish-plates are inclined at 5 to conform to the upper sides of the bases of the rails,and formed flat at 6, and they are secured to the baseplate by means of bolts 7. These bolts extend through the fish and base plates at points beyond the edges of the base of the rail, and they are arranged intermediate the bolts 4 and upon opposite sides of and in close proximity to a line drawn transversely through the joint at the meeting-point of the rails, thereby strengthening the joint at a point Where it is most needed, for it will readily be seen that if these bolts were widely separated the strain would all be upon the base-plate and a separation of this plate and the fish-plates would result, and in consequence the joint would become loose and inefiective. It will be apparent, too, that in the present arrangement all strain and pressure are sustained jointly by the fish and base plates, and any depression of the end of one of the rails will be transferred to the other through the medium of the bolts 4 7 and fish-plates E. The bolts 4 in addition to serving to equalize the strain also prevent any material separation of the ends of the rails, at the same time allowing for the expansion and contraction thereof resulting from changes of temperature. A space is left between the under face of the portion 6 of the fish-plate and the upper face of the base-plate, which not only insures the positive contact of the inclined portion 5 with the top of the rail at all times, but by reason of the tendency of said plates to spring apart they exert pressure in opposite directions upon the heads of the bolts 7 and the nuts thereof, thereby preventing the accidental turning of the nuts and consequent loosening of the joint.

The base-plate is secured to the ties by means of bolts or spikes passing through openings Sin opposite sides of the base-plate and having their heads overhanging the edges of the base of the rails to firmly clamp them to the base-plate. The openings 8 upon one side of the base-plate are arranged in sta ICO gered relation to those upon the opposite side thereof. This is a very advantageous and important feature, for usually the openings in the base-plate are formed opposite one another, and when the spikes are driven through them they split the tie and not only permit moisture to penetrate to the interior thereof, which has a tendency to rot it, but the inner spike acts as a wedge for holding the split open, and thereby the hold of the outer spike upon the rail and base-plate is materially lessened and will soon become relinquished entirely.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that a rail-joint is constructed of a relatively small amount of metal, which is so shaped an d distributed that it possesses great strength at those points where it is most needed. It will be apparent, too, that by extending the fish-plates beyond the edges of the base of the rail and securing them to the base plate at such points said plates are practically as strong as if they were integral, and the strain exerted upon one is in fact partially sustained by the other. Furthermore, it will be obvious that by locating the bolts which secure the fish and base plates together at points adjacent to a line passing transversely through the joint at the meeting ends of the rails the joint is strengthened at the point of greatest need and separation of the plates is prevented, in consequence of which looseness of the joint is prevented. Moreover, the relative arrangement of these bolts and those which secure the fish-plates to the rail is such that the strain exerted upon one end of the joint is equally imposed and taken up by the other end. It will obviously be seen, also, that all lateral strain upon the rails is taken up wholly by the base-plate and not by the securing-bolts and fislrplates.

What I claim is 1. In a rail -joint, the combination with abutting rails, of a base-plate having a flat upper face provided with a central longitudinal recess for reception of the bases of the rails, the recess being equal in width to said bases and of a depth substantially equal to the thickness thereof at their edges, fishplates upon opposite sides of the rails having their upper portions bearing upon the webs of the rails, a central portion at an angle to the upper portions conforming to and. bearing upon the top of the bases of the rails but bein g of less width than said bases and a lower portion with its under face at an angle to the inner face of the central portion and top portion, extending over the edges of the baseplate and out of contact therewith, bolts passing through the upper portions of the fishplate and the web of the rail, and bolts passing through the lower portions of the fish-plates and through the base-plate at points outside the edges of the bases of the rails, substantially as described.

2. In a railjoint, the combination with abutting rails, of a base-plate having a flat upper face provided with a central longitudinal recess for reception of the bases of the rails, the recess being equal in width to said bases and of a depth substantially equal to the thickness thereof at their edges, fishplates upon opposite sides of the rails having their upper-portions bearing upon the webs of the rails, a central portion at an angle to the upper portions conforming to and bearin g upon the top of the bases of the rails but being of less width than said bases and a lower portion with its under face at an angle to the inner face of the central portion and top portion, extending over the edges of the baseplate and out of contact therewith, bolts passing through the upper portions of the fishplate and the web of the rail, and bolts passing through the lower portionsof the fishplates and through the base-plate at points outside the edges of the bases of the rails, said latter bolts being arranged intermediate the former and in close proximity to a line drawn transversely through the joint at the meeting-point of the rails, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM S. BRBHVSTER.

\Vi tncsses:

JOHN N. REYNOLDS, WALTER D. CnossMAN. 

